Closure appliance



July 22, 1952 G. LEVENTHAL CLOSURE APPLIANCE Filed Feb. 1, 1950 d Rm H Mn M mm 0 V6 7 m T Z A w m f a w W 5. w M 4% a J I 2/ w y Patented July 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PA 7 ifzgeoais'r m Gabriel -Leventhal, New York,

TENT O ICE. I

Application February 1, iss'dseriai No.,14l,676

. 1 V This invention relates generally to closure con. structions for various commodities made of flexible material, including fabrics used in garments, and finding advantageous application in connec-. tion with corsets, girdles, foundation and combination garments, the present disclosure particularly-concerning slide fastener structureshaving a self-folding interior backing or shield in rear of the fastener, and to the method of producing such self-folding shield.

: The application of slide fastener closures provided with backings or shields to garmentsand many .other articles is well known.. However, when such slide fastenerclosures are applied to the type ofundergarments indicated, these'closuresoften become a source of great annoyance and; discomfort to the wearer, both duringthe closing and opening operations,as well as when worn in closed position, since they are known to have the propensity of catching and thus-preventing smooth functioning. Moreover, :it is highly desirable that the fastener elements. of a closed fastener be separated from the body. For thatreason a backing or shield is preferably provided'in rear'of the slide fastener by attaching the edges of such shield to the edges-of the garment materialand to the stringers of the fastener, wherebythe shield formsso-to-speak a bridging element in rear of the fastener structure.

I Inundergarments it has been found convenient to make these shields from either thin fabhaphazard, bulky accumulation of shield material, and at the same time causing the shield t apply itself to the body of the wearer.

w In addition to the above outlined features: of the present invention, it is further contemplated to restrict excessive expansion of the shield matener structure, thereby rendering the latter useless.

1 Claim. (o1. 2-38) Having thus briefly outlined the salient features of the present invention, its principal objects are the [provision of a fastener structure with an automatically folding and self-flattening shield, and; the method of producing su'ch shield.

A more specific object of this invention is the provision, in combination witha slide fastener, of an automatically folding and self-flattening shield made from relatively light and easily expansible elastic material in conjunctionwith an elastic band made from relatively strong resilientmaterial which will resist expansion to a much greater degree than 1 the shield material, andwh'erein the' bandis most firmly attached along its "entire body to the body oftheshield material, such as by Zigzag stitching, and'wh'er'e in the ends of the band are similarly secured to the edges of the shield, and wherein the band is located at a certain distance from the normally joined ends of the slide fastener stringers, and wherein the shield edges are reinforced and are rendered relatively free when-their edge areas are united not only with the edgesof an opening to be closed by the slide fastener, but also with the stringers of the latter. Another object of this invention is the method of producing an automatically folding and selfflattening shield for closures when the latter are brought .to their closing position, and which method comprises .the firm, bodily attachment to and across the body of a-relatively light shield ma: terial, of a relatively strong, pull-resisting elastic element, while the shield material is in its normal, unstretched stateand while the element is subjected to tension. v

A stillfurther object of the present invention is the provision and the method of producing an automatically folding and self-flattening instrumentality by applying to a relatively light and pliable sheetof material an elastic element. of relatively strong resistance to pull sov that the body of lth'e elementbecomes. firmly united along its entirelength with the body of thesheet material and extends-from edge to edgelof the-latter. Thesesobjects. and various additional features andadvan't-ages of the-. present invention will become more fullyapparent fromtheensuing description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which latterare designed to serve merely for explanatory purposes and .are by no means intended in a restrictivesense, and-in which'drawings: Y l v .Fig. 1 is a front elevation of agirdle;

Fig.2 is a rear view thereof disclosing a fas- .tener structure inaccordance with the present invention;

"of flexible but relatively light or thin'fabric or other. material, however for undergarments of Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the fastener structure shown from within the garment and I slide fastener structure open;

Fig. 6 is a top view thereof;

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 1-1 of Fig.

3; and r Fig; 83 s 'a'secti'ori taken on line-B 8" of l 'In .the dra wings', numeral III' denotes a girdle structure having, as seen in Fig. l, a front panel H, preferably made of elastic material expansi' ble in vertical directions, and which -.panel--zis joined by means of two adjacent elastic panels-I2 with elastic side or hip panels I3. 'lhe 'lattefare' i also preferably expansible invertical directions, while the joining panels I2 are" ex1o'a'nsiblelat= erally or in horizontal directions.

Corresponding to frontfpanel I I there is a rear panel- I 4, shown in Fig. 2'!- I Panel-I 4 is also-made of; elastic material expansible in verticalv directions and is Joined with panels I3Tby means of connecting panels I5 expansible in lateralbr'hor izontal directions. Rear panel I4 is provided with an opening at substantially its upper half controlled-bya slide'fastener structure generally indicatedatlfi, the construction of which will be explained presentlyr y y y Y All panels'of the garment have at their interior; top and-bottom edges elastic band reinforcements I1 and I8, respectively, which bands are expansible' longitudinally.- However, their: expansi-bility 'isrestrictedat the edges ofpanels: I I I3; and I4'* since'these panels prevent lateral expansion. As will beobserved, the elastic bands- H and I8; are attached to the-edges of. the-garment by what is known as zigzag stitching I9:

' Slide fastener clo -m V The esa-sanction of the slide fastener A closure in accordance with the present invention is illus tralte'dfin greater details in Figs? 3' 15682111600111- prises the usual slide fastener arrangement composed of two stringers Hand 2 I, at the free-edges of which-areprovidd cooperating sli'de'fastner elements. Aslider 22 is intended to either bring the slide fastener elements in engagement with o'ne 'a'nother, thus drawingthe stringerstoward each other; or to" disengage" the elements and causing the separation of the stringers.

' These stringers are secured by means of vertica-l stitches 2 3' to the* edges of the garment material which is" slit to form the opening in panel I4. At the interior faceof the panel open ing-there is'provided a shield; 24; the edgeareas ofw'hich' latter-are held in place andlagainstthe edges-of the panel opening and the stringers by the same stitching 23, but in addition" are attached near their margins by I an ext'e'ribrfrow o'ftitch ng'zsj That ow of stitching: leaves substantially free-theioutermost edge marginsifi, which are vpreferably reinforced 'andffinished by arelativelymoarse"zigzag stitching 26". rheito edge ofishieljdflis formed by foldingfth'e shield mater al upon itself and securingfits edge to the sl iield properby zigzag stitching; asat 21 in Figs;

the kind indicated, the use of a'resilient textile is preferred, especially the kind of elastic fabric which is expansi-me in one direction only, such as latera'lly' or -horizontally in respect tot-he verti cal axis or length of the garment. Another important requirement in the material for the shield is its high flexibility, its relatively easy expansibility and its ability to be readily folded and to apply itself to the body of the wearer without causing discomfort.

As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5, backing shield 24 comprises a substantially V-shaped or wedgeshaped panel, with its longer, top end connecting-fthe upper "ends of theedge's of the opening formed in rear panel I4; while its bottom end straddles the lower end of the opening and'the '-'normally closed, lower end of the slide fastener.

Attention is now directed to instrumentality 28; which is adapted to automatically fold the shield materia'l and to render it self-flattening, as indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and 7, when the slide fastener 'is=-bein'g*closed or is in closing position. Instrumentality 28 constitutes a tightly woven elastic band element which is designed to relatively strongly resist pulling action, and which element is 'bodily' secured both at its ends 2'9 'as well; as along its longitudinal edges 30- to the body of the shield material by relatively close zigzag stitching, while the element is placed under slight tension andwhile'the material of the shield remains in an unstretched, normal state; The ends 29 of element '28-areassociated with the" free edge margins 26 of shield24; by the zigzag stitching'26 already mentioned} Thus the body of elastic 28 isfirmlyandintimatel-y united'with the body of shield 24'by the stated zigzag stitching, and when thus united, and-un der the conditions'stated, will have the tendency of automatically folding' the relatively much,

lighterbody of -shieldf l, and thereby causing the shield material to automatically flatte'nfo'ut when slide fastener l fi' is beiri'gcl'osld. These automatic folding and fiattening'features 'arebest' illustrated in Figs. 3 ands, and also in" Fig. 7;" in which latter figure both the shield as well as elastic-28' are shown exaggeratedly enlarged} to more clearly define the different elements of the structure. Only by following the above indicated method of unitingelement28 with the material of shield 24 will result the intended function of automatically folding the shield. material when the slide fastener-is being closed. In addition to the function of element 28 of folding the shield material, that element also servesas restraining meansagainst excessive expansion of'the shield material when the slide fastener is in'open position and during the time the garment isbeing donned. Element'28- readily compensates for the strain 'during the donning operation and revents not'only tearing of the shield material, but also greatly minimizes the possibility {of damage to the open fastener structure and-to the garment material: Thus element '28 'accomplishes several important and'veryuseful a'n'd desirable effects in-conjunction with a fastener closure.

Attention is invitedto' the 'location' offele' ment 2 8 inrespect'to the slit edges of panel I42 It will be'noted thateleinent' 28- is positiohed' 'a' substantial distance from both termini or the edges formed by theslitting of panel I4 and that the element is located approximatelyat the lower third of the total'length of these edges; as may 'be observed from Figs. 3 and 5.' Dueto menu that the ends 29 of the'element are secured in place while the elementis held under tension, and further due to the str'on'g resistance of the element to pulling action,'the-lower end of shield 24'is n'ever allowed to unfold or to assume a -fiilly stretched positionfias is clearly indicated-35y the shading shown in Fig. 5. Thus that lower end of the shield, being maintained in its folded position, serves so-to-sxieal: as a pilot fold and initiates and propagates the automatic folding and flattening ofv the entire shield body in upward direction, when strain upon element 28 ceases.

While in the foregoing a closure of the slide fastener type, including a, self-folding shield, is dealt with, as applied to a garment, it is quite obvious that any other closures having other means for detachably uniting the edges of an opening structure may be equipped with such self-folding shield, irrespective of whether or not the closures are parts of garments or of articles which do not constitute objects of clothing. By the same token it is equally obvious that when such closures provided with automatically folding and self-flattening shields are applied to various garments or articles other than garments, changes and improvements in the construction of the closures may be necessitated in order to render them efiective for such garments or other articles, and it is to be understood that such changes and improvements are deemed to reside within the broad scope and intent of the present invention, as defined by the annexed claim.

What is claimed as new is:

In a garment, a rear panel made of elastic material expansible in vertical direction and slit centrally in vertical direction at substantially its upper half from the top edge toward the bottom edge of the panel so that a panel opening with adjacent separable and olosable edges is formed at that upper panel ha1f,'a slide fas- 6 tener'structure secured to these edges for closing them,'an automatically folding, self-flattening shield secured with its side edges directly to the fastener-equipped panel opening edges and permanently bridging the area between these edges, said shield having a single, permanent pilot fold for initiating and propagating the automatic folding and flattening of the shield body in upward direction when the edges of the panel opening are closed by said slide fastener structure, and a relatively broad resilient band, strongly resistant to pulling action,'fixedly secured with its ends to the edges of the panel opening while being kept under tension, said band being located substantially below the top ends of these edges and above their lower termini and being adapted to effect that automatic folding and flattening of said .shield by the bandstendency of normally urging these edges to abut with one another.

GABRIEL LEVENTHAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

